Inside the Fraud Underground: What Retail and Financial Services Teams Need to Know

Fraud targeting retailers and financial institutions is constantly evolving, as threat actors adapt their tactics, exploit new opportunities, and exchange the tools, stolen data, and techniques needed to turn compromised accounts into profit. 

In the first half of 2026 alone, infostealer malware harvested more than 1.7 billion credentials from over 7.4 million compromised systems. As of mid-October, Flashpoint has also observed nearly 8 million fully compromised payment cards circulating in illicit communities, a 71% increase over the same period in 2025. For fraud and security teams, staying ahead requires more than identifying suspicious activity. It requires understanding how fraud schemes operate, where they originate, and how they are changing. 

Primary-source threat intelligence offers a unique window into that activity. By examining the illicit communities and other online spaces where threat actors exchange information, advertise services, and coordinate schemes, organizations can uncover emerging tactics, add critical context to investigations, and better understand the threats targeting their businesses and customers. 

Join Flashpoint Intelligence Analysts Jason Kimbrel and Ethan Alfery for an inside look at the fraud activity affecting the retail and financial services sectors. Drawing on Flashpoint’s primary-source intelligence and real-world observations, they’ll break down the schemes and tactics worth watching, take attendees inside the sources analysts use to uncover fraud activity, and demonstrate how organizations can use these insights to strengthen fraud investigations and detection.

During this webinar, attendees will learn:

• What fraud activity looks like across retail and financial services: Explore the schemes, tactics, and emerging trends Flashpoint analysts are observing across both sectors.
• What to watch during the holiday season: Examine seasonal risks, including gift card fraud and other schemes that spike during the holidays.
• From fraud intelligence collection to investigation: See how Flashpoint analysts uncover fraud activity across illicit online communities and other sources, connect relevant intelligence, and turn their findings into actionable insights for fraud and security teams.

We look forward to seeing you!